Last.



PATENTED MAY 14, 1907.

E. JK. PRINDLE,

LAST. APPLIOATIQN'HLBD JAN. 2e, 1eoo.`

N. @ahy/10i',

Unir entras rentrent 'einen TO THE PREMIER LAST COMPANY, OF GREAT RIVER, LONG ISLAND,

NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Speccation of Letters Patent.

Patented May 14, 19o7.-

Appiimion ned nanny 26, 1900. serial No. 2.354..

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, EDWIN J. PniNLDLE, of 4I/Vz'ashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain ew and useful I1nprovements in Lasts g and I do hereby declare that the lfollowing is a full, clear, andexact'description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side .elevation of a form of my improved last iniwhich the only connection between the fore and heel part, is my shiftable pintle. Fig. 2 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view taken on the line a: of Fig. 3. 3 is a top plan view of the form of last shown in Figfl. Fig. 4 is a perspective ,View of the form of connection used between the fore and heel parts in the last which is the subject of illustration in Figs. l, 2 and 3.

The object of my invention, is,"to produce a divided last having a connection or part between the fore and heel parts, which can be shifted to a -`)msition preferably near 'the bottom of the last to'permit shortening the last, to permit of the easy insertion and removal of the last from thel shoe, andl which connection or part can be shifted to lock the last in its extended position, thus preventing its collapse under the tension of the upper, and connecting the fore and heel parts at such a distance 'from the bottom of the last as to give the greatest strength that is Apossible in a divided last. And to this end my invention consists in the construction hereinafter described and claimed.

. In the form of last shown, the last has a fore part A, which is divided from the heel part Bby a vertical cut, and the upper andv forwardv portion of the heel part B is removed by downward cut which is inclined 'forward to meet the surface of the 'fore part B at a point d near the bottom of the last, thus forming a V-shaped space between the fore part A and the heel part B, to enable the latter' to'be swung forward. are secured iii vertical, longitudinal slots in the fore part A by pins C", passing through the fore part and through holes C4 in the plates C. Two plates C are likewise secured in slots in the heel part B by pins C which are driven through` the heel pari and through holes Ci in the plates C2. The piates of the heel .part lie between the plates ol' the Two plates C` fore part, though the heel part plates might lie outside of the fore partr plates; and each of the four plates is provided with a slot C7, extending from a point near the upper surface of the last to a point near the bottom of the last. The bottom curves of the slots are concentric with the point of intersection d between the rear surface of the fore part and the inclined surface B of tho heel part. A pintle C. occupies the slots of the four plates and thus connects the fore and heel parts of the last. Slots A are crit lin the fore part A' to p'ern'iit the plates C2 of the heel part to enter the fore part when the heel part is swung forward, and slots BL are cut in the heel part to receive the plates C of the fore part at the saine time. One of the plates C on the fore part A might be dispensed with and one of the plates (L2 of the i heel part B also dispensed with, if desired, and flanges be 'formed on the pintlelto keep it in place, thus simplifying the construction. Such construction-is shown and claimed in Letters-Patent No. 648,525, granted to me May I, 1900.

As the last is in the normalposition, or right side up, when the pintle is used at the bottom of the slots-C7, no means are necessary to'retain it in that position, its own Weight at the top ol theI slots, it is convenient but not necessary to have some retaining means. The pintlo shown, is circular in cross-section except at the ends where it occupies the slotz( C7 in the plates, (h1 these ends it is flat tened, and the width of the slots C7, except at the top, corresponds to the width of these flattened ends. At the top, however, each slot C7 is enlarged or oil'set. The slots C7 may, if desired, be offset at the bottom to provide for locking` the pintle in the lower position. The pintle is provided with a handle C, which may, if desired, be made long enough to be within reach when the pintle is at the bottom of the slots, said handle consisting of a strip of sl'ieet metal, set into the body of the pintlc; and when the pntle israised (by the use of an ordinary last hool the pintle is turned by the handle; and, the

being suliicient: butwhen the pintlc is used IOO iiattened ends of the pintle occiqiying the the bottom of the slots, lock the pintle at L to the heelpart such points.

In the form of last described, the plates C and C2 connectiri'g the fore and heel parts project over a portion of the part of the last which is opposite to that part to which they are attached. For instance, the plates C attached to the fore part A project over the material of the heel part which is near the bottom, and the lates C2 which are attached I3 projectover the material of the fore part A, which is near the bottom. This prevents `either part ot the last from moving up or down on the other. For, the plates C on the fore part A prevent the heel art B from rising, and the plates C2 on the eel part, by projecting over the tore part,

.prevent the heel part B from falling. Vhile,

this construction is not necessary it is defsirable as it aids in keeping the fore and heel parts in proper relation when the shiftable lpintle is not locked in the enlargements Iat the ends of the slots. This construction may, however, be dispensed with and the pintle alone be depended upon to keep the lates and through them the last parts in suitable relation.

The operation of this form of my last is as follows-To insert the last in the shoe, the

pintle is pushed down, with an ordinary last iook, to the bottom ol the slots. The heel art is now swung forward, and, the pintle )eing near the bottoni of the last, a marked shortening is obtained. The fore part of the last is pushed vwell into the toe ol' the shoe, and the heel part is pushed down against the sole. This last hook is then caught under the pintle and the latter raised to the top of the slots. The last in this condition is locked against the collapsing tension of the upper and also'against breaking strain such as that of the sole leveling machine. lVlien the last is to be removed, the pintle is pushed to the bottoni of the slots. The heel part is now easily swung forward, since the position of the pintle near the bottom of the last causes it to recede from the counter at the .beginning ol' its upward movement, and the last can be removed.

While I have shown the recess between the last parts as located in the upper portion of the last, and the heel part as swinging over the pintle, in shortening the last,` I can locate the recess in the lower portion of the last` and cause the heel part to swing under the pintle in shortening the last, and in such construction the locking position of the pintle would be .the one nearer the sole, and the unlocked position. of the pintle would be the one arther from the sole.

1. In combination with a divided last having a portion removed between the fore and heel-parts forming a recess lying transversely ot the last when extended, overlapping plates, each of which is secured to one of the last paits and projects into said recess, and means for locking said plates together, such means consisting of a bodily and axially movable locking piece, said plates having locking surfaces which are engaged by said locking piece when said locking piece is turned into one position, and which aie not engaged thereby when said locking piece is occupying another position. l

2. 'A jointed last having rigid pieces on the fore and heel-parts and having a single mov able part forming a connection between the rigid pieces whi'cli is bodily movable with relation to both of said pieces, substantially as described.

3. A jointed last. having rigid pieces on the fore and heel parts and having its fore and heel parts bearing against each other, and

fore and heel parts and having a single niovable part forming a connection between the rigid pieces, said connection being movable I to positions toward and from the bottom of the last one ol' which permits the shortening of the last, and the other of which causes it to be locked, substantially as described.

6. A divided last having rigid pieces on the fore and heel parts and having a single nievable part forming a connection between the rigid pieces, said connection being movable to a position toward the bottom of the last, in which position the connection permits the. shortening of the last, and said connection being movable to a position away from thi` bottom of the. last, in which position the coniiection locks the last, substantially as described.

7. A divided last having rigid pieces on the fore and heel parts and having its lore and heel parts bearing against each other and having a single movable pait forming a connection between the rigid pieces, said connection being movable to positions toward and from the bottom of the last that permit a Swingin0r movement of the heel-part, and cause thedast to be locker", substantially as described.

8. A divided last having rigid pieces on the fore and heel parts and having its fore and heel parts bearing against each other at the bottom and having a single movable part forming a connection between the rigidlOO IlO

assise? pieces, said connection being movable to a position toward the bottoni of the last in which position the connection permits theA shortening of the last, and said connection being movable to a position away from the bottom of the last, in Which position the con-- nection locks the last, ysubstantially as described.

9. A divided pieces on the :fore and heel parts, which, with the pintle, connect,V the fore and heel parte,` and which pintle is bodily movable with relation to both ot said pieces, substantially as described. y

l0. A divided last having its fore and heel parts bearing against each other at the bottom, and having rigid pieces on the fore and heel parts, a intle which with said pieces, connects the "ore and heel parts, and which pintle is bodilyV movable With relation to both of saidA parts.

1l. A divided llast having its foreand heel parts bearing against each other'at the bottom, having rigid ieoes on the fore and heel parts,I and a pint e connectingisuch piecesJv said pintle being bodily movable with relagI tion to both of said parts.

l2. A divided last having a plate attached to the `fore part, a plateattaclied to the heel part, each plate having a slot therein, and a pintlev situatediri said slots and connecting said plates, sul tially as described.

13. A divider `last having a slotted plate attached to the tore part, a slottedl plate attachcd to the heel part, the fore and heel parts abuttin y yand a pintle situated in said slots and connecting tially as described.. v

1+i. A divided last having a' slotted plate attached to the foreV part, a slotted plate attachod to the heel `par t, the fore and heel parts abil/ting at the bottom of the last,4and a pintle :situated in said slots and connecting said plates, substantially as described.

15. A divided last having a. single conneclast having a pintle, rigid/ said plates,l substan tached to the heel part, the fore and heel parte abutting, a pintle situated in said slots and connecting said plates, and means to hold-said pintle in the last-docking position, substantiallyT as described; A

17. A divided last having aplate attached to the fore part, a plate attached tothe heel part, each platehaving a slot therein which ,slot has substantially parallel sides, a locking piece occupying said slots, said slots having enlargements at the points Where'it is desired to hold the locking piecefroin movement, `substantially as described.

18. A divided last having a plate attached to the fore part, aplate attached to the heel part, each plate having a slot therein which slot has substantially parallel sides, a locking 1 ieee occupying said slots said locking piece iavng an end Whose thickness is substantially that of .the parallel sided slots and' whose width is greater than its thickness, sai slots havingenlargements at points Where it isrdesired to hold the locking piece from movement, and means whereby the locking piece can beY turned so that the greater dimension of its end can lie across the ireetion of the slots in the enlargements thereof,l substantially as described. in testimony' that l claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of January, A: D., 1900,

EDWIN J. PRINDLE.

Witnesses:

HENRY C. HAZARD, JAs. E. HUTo'mNsoN. 

